Media > Fast Facts
- Beech Mountain is in Northwestern North Carolina approximately 2 hours from Charlotte and Asheville. Beech Mountain is also 30 minutes from Boone, Blowing Rock, and the Northeastern Tennessee border.
- Beech Mountain (at 5,506 feet) is the highest town in the Eastern United States.
- Summer temperatures rarely exceed 72 degrees on the mountain.
- Annual average snowfall is over 80 inches.
- Ski Beech opened for business in 1967
- The town embraces a wide range of cultural activities: street dances, block parties/town-wide cookouts, and arts and crafts festivals.
- Beech is home to the annual Mile-High Kite Festival-the premier kite festival in the Southeast. The event offers children and adults the opportunity to fly kites over one mile in the air. It also features professional kite-flying clubs, trick kite demonstrations and the world's smallest and largest kites.
- The town is home to the 47th Annual Roasting of the Hog (and Fireworks Spectacular), a town-wide cookout that has become widely popular amongst visitors. Ironically, last year was the 47th Annual, as was the year before and every year before that.
- The town boasts incredible opportunities to view mountain-top wildlife in its most natural state. Tuesday Guided Hikes on Beech Mountain offer visitors the chance to take hikes focusing on the mountain's waterfalls, berry picking, and "flora and fauna" specific to the mountain.
- The Genesis Wildlife Conservation Center, an "Island of Misfits," is home to a wingless raptor, and an owl with a bullet hole in its head. This unique non-profit wildlife center is devoted to the rehabilitation and release of wildlife on Beech Mountain and throughout the area. Sanctuary staff conducts educational programs, and the center is open to the public.
- Beech Mountain sports a wonderful system of trails for mountain bikers, from novice to expert. The seven trails, over 16 miles of spectacular and challenging terrain, will satisfy all riders. Thanks to the efforts of volunteers, the varied trails are beautifully maintained year-round. In addition, a variety of great biking awaits you with the towns 51.2 miles of paved bike routes. Each of the 5 routes begins at the Visitor's Center adjacent to the Town Hall. You will retrace routes used by Lance Armstrong when he trained on the mountain.
- Beech Mountain is known to riders around the world thanks to the Tour DuPont, America's foremost road race that was run through the High Country during the 1980s. The climb up Beech (on Highway 184) was recognized as the toughest leg of them all, four miles long and 2,300 feet steep. Lance Armstrong, trained and raced to victory on Beech Mountain. You can read about it in his book, "It's Not About The Bike."
- Along Buckeye and Coffey Lakes, many local streams are stocked; fishing season begins the first Saturday in April and runs through the end of February. Fishing licenses - require for anyone over the age of sixteen - are available for purchase locally.
- Buckeye Lake, a seven-acre lake at the base of the town, is Beech Mountain's most popular recreation area, with fishing, hiking, bird watching and picnicking being favorite activities. Stocked with trout year-round! State fishing licenses are required.
- The Buckeye Recreation Center is Beech Mountain's new indoor recreation facility. It houses a full-size gymnasium, tennis, meeting areas, fitness area and a kids playroom. The Buckeye Park provides outdoor recreation with tennis courts, walking trail, children's playground and ball field.